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Chapter 6: The Golden Era of Big Band Swing: The 1930s and Beyond
The Duke was among the first big band leaders to showcase a singer’s voice
as an instrument, when Adelaide Hall sang wordless melodies on “Creole
Love Call” (Hall later lived in London and starred in stage musicals such as
“The Sun Never Sets”). Ellington also employed bassists in bold new ways, as
Jimmy Blanton and Oscar Pettiford became soloists and improvisers on par
with saxophonists and trumpeters.
As Ellington’s compositions matured, his songs became masterful ensemble
pieces for a dozen or more distinctive voices, as well as showcases for his talented
musicians. Although Fletcher Henderson, Chick Webb, Jimmy Lunceford,
and other big band leaders of the 1920s advanced the music beyond the
rougher New Orleans and Midwest/Territory sounds (I discuss the Midwest
territory bands earlier in this chapter), Ellington elevated the art of big band
music to new heights of sophistication. His music wasn’t just entertainment:
He often composed with a message in mind, and many of his compositions
meditated on his experiences as an African American. In fact, Ellington often
imagined theatrical scenes while he composed.
Ellington’s band reigned for five decades, and Ellington composed dozens of
tunes, later collaborating with his alter ego, Billy Strayhorn. (Strayhorn was
the band’s unsung creative force from 1938 through 1967, on compositions
and arrangements including “Lush Life,” “Passion Flower,” and “Take the A
Train.” Visit www.billystrayhorn.com.) Although big bands faded following
World War II, Ellington wrote and recorded jazz through two more decades.
Ellington enjoyed a comfortable income for the rest of his life thanks to royalties
from “Mood Indigo” and other compositions. The royalties helped subsidize
his big band, which often operated near break even or lost money.
There are at least 1,000 Ellington CDs covering the band’s music from the
1920s through the 1960s, and even, under new leaders including his son
Mercer, after Duke’s death. You probably want something from each decade;
studio sessions as well as live performances at Newport Jazz Festival and
elsewhere; his “Anatomy of a Murder” film score, his sacred music, and his
collaborations on piano with John Coltrane and other great improvisers.
Crowning a Count and a King of Swing
Jazz is famous for its royalty, and among this circle the Duke (Ellington) is a
sort of god. Yet there are many other players who earned their titles, including
soloists like Bird and Diz, and bandleaders like William “Count” Basie and
Benny Goodman — the King of Swing. Here, you take a look at the Count and
the King and what their creative talents contributed to the golden era of big
band swing.
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